Answered by

Question: I am a 58 yr old, 180 lb male. I have lost 52 pounds since the DBS surgery. I had DBS surgery Feb. of 2017 for Parkinsons. Ever since I am experiencing painful pressure headaches on the "back" of my head. It feels like a weight on the top of my head. A CT showed the surgery was "successful" and it has helped with my Parkinsons, but the pressure persist. When I lay down the headache pressure goes away. I am also in pain management for 3 back surgeries, L3,4,5, S1 fusions (most recent one was 7 years ago)There is the question whether the pain meds was causing it. I am on hydrocodone w/ Tylenol 10-325, up to 6 per day, 7 years. My FP doctor is scheduling me for another CT scan this time the back of my head upper neck. there are times that part of my head/neck will at random almost "crackle" if I turn my head abruptly, like when driving. It does not cause or affect the pressure.

The headache and pressure at the back of the head that you are feeling can be due to spondylottic changes in the cervical spine.
The crackling noise in the neck is the gliding of joints as you turn your neck. If your joint has been injured or becomes inflamed, the surface may thicken, creating a rubbing sound as you move. A courser noise may indicate more advanced changes in the surfaces of one or more joints. Such changes can be caused by osteoarthritis (OA) or spondylosis changes.

A physical therapy program to help with your posture and muscle balance can improve movement in your neck and may help stop the noise.

All the information, content and live chat provided on the site is intended to be for informational purposes only, and not a substitute for professional or medical advice. You should always speak with your doctor before you follow anything that you read on this website. Any health question asked on this site will be visible to the people who browse this site. Hence, the user assumes the responsibility not to divulge any personally identifiable information in the question. Use of this site is subject to our Terms & Conditions